Burned
by Hardcore Dreamer
Summary: My version of Burned, continuing from where the books left off in Tempted. Hope y'all like it! PLEASE REVIEW.
1. Chapter 1

"_Zo, babe, this is the Otherworld. It's not me who doesn't belong here – It's you!" _

_Memory crashed over me, drowning me with despair and darkness and reality as my world shattered, and everything went black..._

_**Zoey**_

Could this really be happening? No, it's all a dream. I'll wake up from this nightmare any second now, just you wait... But the awful truth was, I knew it wasn't a dream. I was sure this was reality, just as sure as I was that my name was Zoey. _Don't worry, Zoey, _I told myself _we'll get through this, everything will be just fine. _But then again, I have been wrong about a lot of things lately, and this could very well be another one of those things.

"Zoey?... Zoey?!" A voice broke through the terrible things that were running through my mind.

"Heath!" I shouted. I could hear him perfectly fine, but I couldn't see him at all. And now that I was looking around, instead of babbling to myself in my head, I realised I couldn't see anything. Just pure darkness. "Heath, where are you?"

"Don't worry, Zo. We'll get through this, just stay where y-"

Heath's voice was cut off by the sound of pure sadness floating in the air. I could hear the cries and screams of people all around me, but once again, I couldn't see anything but darkness. After a couple seconds, I didn't think I could stand it anymore; I wanted to break down and cry right where I was, even if I didn't even know where that was... But the thing that _did _make tears flow freely down my cheeks was the fact that I recognised the voices, I knew who they were.

"Shaunee! Erin! Jack!" I called. Was it weird that I couldn't remember all the names of my friends?

"Yes, it is them," Came a soft, warming voice from my side. I turned to see a beautiful Goddess who is said to be night personified.

"Nyx!" I blurted and as she floated – yes, I do mean she _floated _– closer to me. Then I realised, as she grew closer to me, the crying and screaming started to die down.

"Yes, Zoeybird," She said. The use of my Grandma's nickname brought tears to my eyes. Wait, I think it was Grandma who gave me the nickname. Now that I think about it, I wasn't too sure. "I have come to help you return to your friends and Earth."

"Uh, thanks, I mean, thank you..." What was I meant to say to that?

"Are you ready, Zoey?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Me and Heath are ready to go home!" I said moronically.

Then Nyx sighed and took another step towards me so she could put a hand on my shoulder. Oh no. This can't be good. I already half-knew what was coming, but I put on a smile just in case the worst wasn't to come... "Only you can return, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. Heath must come back to my realm with me and, hopefully, live a life in peace."

"You mean Heath can't come back with me?" I sobbed. Okay, I know she pretty much already explained that, but I was in shock, give me a break.

"I am sorry, Zoey, but you must learn to accept the strange ways in which destiny and fate work together." She said, letting go of my shoulder and taking a step back.

"Then I don't want to go!" I screeched, even surprising myself with my anger.

Then, without saying anything, Nyx lifted her arms above her head and started to wave them about in the darkness. Without any warning, the horrible crying returned, only louder than last time.

One of the voices appeared closer than the others. And although he wasn't crying, I knew his voice was overwhelmed with sadness. The voice just kept whispering one thing over and over again...

_I'm sorry_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Zoey**_

"Do you know who that is?" Nyx asked warmly. I could hear her, but just. The cries and the two words the voice were whispering to me were ringing like a bell in my ear...

"I'm so sorry, Zoey..." The voice whispered again.

That's it! I can't take it anymore!

"Nyx, who are they? I think I know who they are, I can feel it deep inside of me. Please help me remember!" I begged the Goddess.

Nyx only nodded and suddenly I appeared outside somewhere. There were a whole group of people, hugging each other and bawling like babies. _WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?! _I wanted to shout so loud that my lungs hurt afterwards but I managed to hold my anger and confusion down for now.

Suddenly Nyx was at my side again, "Do you not recognise these people?" She asked me like a teacher asking a second grader what ten plus ten is.

"I remember some of them, but I can't place names to some of them." I said truthfully.

"Look deep inside yourself and you will find them."

I didn't think that needed an answer, so I stared at the group of teenagers, hoping that something would suddenly click inside me and I would remember. I walked around them slowly until I saw what was at the front of them all, what they were all crying over...

Ohmygoddess, it was me!... But something changed. When I stared at myself it was like looking at a familiar stranger again. It was my marks! They're all gone! My beautiful tattoos that framed my face and went down my body were missing, but how? I turned to Nyx for answers but she motioned for me to turn back to me dead body.

Who was the boy that was leaning over me? The guy who was whispering the words to me that I heard earlier?

"Stark..." Nyx said unexpectedly and I looked at her and then back at the boy who's name she said was Stark.

But who the hell was-

OMG! "Oh, no. What have I done?" I shouted and it was like someone turned on a light inside me. I suddenly remembered everything. I looked back at the vampyres and fledglings that were crying – no, they weren't just vampyres and fledglings. They were my _friends_.

Damien, Jack, the Twins, Darius, Aphrodite... And _Stark_. What have I done? Did I really cause all of this?

"Nyx, how do I fix this?" I turned back to look at her, I could taste salty tears in my mouth.

"Your soul shattered, and part of your memory with it. You managed to piece part of it back together, Zoeybird, by looking deep inside yourself. Look inside yourself again, even deeper, then you will find the answer."

"But I can't!" I sobbed, "I... I don't kn-know how!"

"You do, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, look inside yourself." She repeated.

How in hell was I meant to "look inside" myself? Was I meant to close my eyes? Cover my ears? Maybe I wa-

_Remember... _I heard the words whisper from inside me and all of a sudden I knew what I had to do. _How? _I asked the voice, _How can I remember? How can I fix this?_ For a second I thought maybe the voice was just my imagination and that it wasn't going to reply. But it did; _Love, friendship and loyalty. _It said, _Trust, peace and promise..._

"Nyx, I know what I have to do. I'm sorry for what I've done, even if it wasn't completely my fault. I want to return to them – I _need_ to return to them... But Nyx, could I have one thing first?" I said, trying to make myself sound as calm as possible, despite what was going on around me.

"Anything," Nyx replied.

"I'd... I'd like to see Heath one more time, just to say goodbye." I said.

"Very well." Nyx waved her hand around beside her and suddenly Heath was standing next to me. I couldn't help hurling myself into his arms.

"I'm sorry Heath! I'm so sorry! I wish you could come back with me," I cried and hugged him tight.

His laughter was like sweet music to my ears. "This isn't the time to blame yourself for everything, Zo. Those guys need you," He said and jerked his head in the direction of all my depressed and crying friends, then hugged me back,, "You're gonna have to be strong and lead them like the High Priestess I know you are."

"But, Heath, I don't even-"

He touched his fingers to my lips to shut me up. "I have to go now, I'll no longer be with you on Earth but I promise I'll be watching over you."

He pulled his finger from my lips and kissed me then. The kiss wasn't hard and strong, but soft and gently, and it gave me a tingly feeling inside. When he pulled away, I looked into his eyes and he smiled through tears. "And don't forget to tell that Stark kid that if he doesn't take care of you I'll come back and haunt him."

I couldn't help but smile. Typical Heath. Even in times like these he can still make me smile.

"I love you, Heath," I whispered as he and Nyx started to fade away. And for once, I didn't scream and beg for one more minute with him. I had to accept the truth, even if I hated it with all my guts, and move on.

"I love you too, Zo, babe."

When Heath and Nyx finally disappeared I got one more glance at the sad, dramatic scene behind me before I got swallowed in darkness and everything went black. Again.


End file.
